Iris West is the daughter of the third Flash, Wally West, and is named after her great-aunt Iris. She has inherited unstable powers, currently the ability to phase through matter.

Out-of-this-World Childhood

Iris nearly wasn’t born. While her mother was pregnant, she was savagely attacked by Zoom II, causing a miscarriage (Flash v.2 #197–200: Blitz, 2003). A later battle between Flash and Zoom ranged across time, and the future Zoom took the brunt of the original attack. A “fissure in time” restored the twins to life, and they were born during the battle (Flash v.2 #224–225: Rogue War, 2005).

The twins were still infants when the family was whisked away to an alien world for a year (Infinite Crisis #4, 2005 & Flash v.2 #231, 2007). Their inherited link to the speed force accelerated their growth and triggered unstable powers. Physically, Iris is roughly 10 years old, two years “older” than her twin brother.

The Wests managed to stabilize their children’s powers, but could not predict any future growth spurts. Iris could mature to adulthood overnight...or die of old age.

Down to Earth

The Wests were brought home during a JLA/JSA/LSH case (Justice League of America #10 & All-Flash #1, 2007). Iris’s father has been training her and her brother in how to properly use their powers, and how to follow in the family tradition of heroism...for as long as they can.

Living Fast

After some time back on Earth, Iris spontaneously became a teenager and developed full super-speed. Then she became an adult and started rapidly aging, bringing urgency to the search for a cure. Her father finally recognized it as the death-aspect of the speed force, and was able to channel it away from both children and into himself, where he believed he could control it.

Iris has reverted to the age and powers she had previously, and her condition appears to be cured (Flash v.2 #240–243: Fast Money, 2008).

Powers

Iris’ link to the speed force presently manifests itself as
the ability to vibrate her own molecules (and anything she touches), enabling her to phase through matter. She was briefly able to match her father’s speed during childhood, and she had a full set of speed-based powers as a teenager and an adult.

She and her brother can both sync their auras with their father’s when he moves fast enough, effectively flying to his side. This power is involuntary on their part, but can be triggered by Wally.

The twins were not named in print until All-Flash #1 (Sep. 2007), nearly two years after their birth was shown in Flash v.2 #225 (Oct. 2005).

Iris shares a name and at least one parent with the Kid Flash (Iris West) who appeared in Kingdom Come and Chain Lightning. However, their powers and other circumstances do not match. The other Iris is a speedster, her brother’s name is Barry and not Jai, and her father discouraged her from being a hero.

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